This is also the question of the hour in Matthew 16
"Who do you say I am?"
My word, the Lord is saying, "You are laying your heart before me, saying "I will go"" but when I lay my heart before you, you refuse to go.
Drink His words in all their glorious inconsistencies.
When you place Isaiah 5, and Revelation 2:8-11 together this is what you get:
In some of the curses that are pronounced against his people there are:
"Woe to you who call good evil, and evil good"
"Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
[That] they may follow intoxicating drink;
Who continue until night, [till] wine inflames them!
The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute,
And wine are in their feasts;
But they do not regard the work of the LORD,
Nor consider the operation of His hands."
In response to this, God's response is "dig yourselves graves because you will put yourself in them" This is what is meant by "I will lay it waste" (in verse 6)
This phrase in Isaiah 5;5,6 is the center point of the direction of God regarding His vineyard.
We ought to think about the lengths for which God will utterly demolish his inheritance so that they will bear fruit. To bear fruit, implies, it is alive. He is saying "i will bring you to the point of death so that you will live" actually I think that a fair exchange.
I was thinking about how the exhortation to the church of Smyrna falls upon their ears. Jesus finishes the exhortation with these words "be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" I cannot imagine those that are under this threat of death thinking "I am going to run away" rather this place, the place of death will polarize you. If you are not willing, you simply will not go. You will turn tail and flee (like his disciples did) or you will prepare to die. The exhortation "be faithful until death" will fall on ears that will be exhorted to prepare for this.
What is running through their hearts (and minds)? I thought about Jesus exhortation as the First and the Last. In Daniel 7 it has these words:
"I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, [One] like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion [is] an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom [the one]
Which shall not be destroyed. (emphasis mine)
This is what they were thinking. as opposed to all other kingdoms on the earth, this one will not pass away, this one will not be destroyed.
In fact, their reward is mentioned in both Revelation 5 and Daniel 7. it reads thus:
'But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' (Daniel 7:18)
Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.' (Daniel 7:27)
And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." (Rev 5:10)
They were looking for the reward of reigning with Him
We also have an exhortation from Jesus. I know what he is thinking in His heart as He says these words:
But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him [My] Father will honor.
"I am the First, I am pre-eminant, I am the highest and take precedence. I am the Last, I will be the ultimate end for which anyone lives, And now I am becoming Lord of Death and Life when I die and rise again"
These words are repeated to the church at Smyrna. The question is, "Come die with me!"
Why ought your allegiance be to anyone else?
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